Power boat



Dec. 22, 1942. E. MESSINGER- 2,306,072

POWER BOAT Filed June 2, 1941 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 22, 1 942 UNITED STATES; FTET ()FFICE POWER BOAT V I Eugene Messinger, Kansas City,-Kans. Application June 2, 1941; Serial No. 396,275

1 Claim. (01. 11564) This invention relates to improvements in power boats and particularly to a boat propelling mechanism whereby the speed and direction of travel of the boat may be controlled.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a boat provided with a driving mechanism comprising a pair of spaced apart endless belt driving members which are adjustably mounted to control the speed and direction of travel of said boat.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a boat propelling mechanism comprising a pair of spaced apart endless chain driving members having means whereby the relative speed of travel of said endless chain driving members is varied.

Other objects of the present invention is the provision of a boat propelling means which is simple in construction, easy to operate, and adapted for use of various types of boats.

With these objects, in view, reference will now be had to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is the side elevation partly broken away of a boat showing the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the boat partly broken away to disclose one of the driving members.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Throughout the several views like reference characters designate similar parts and the numeral I is a boat body or hull having a central compartment I2 and longitudinally disposed side channels l4 and i6 which extend the full length of the boat to receive the propelling members l8 and 28, respectively.

The stem of the boat is provided with a rudder 22 which is pivoted by means of the vertically disposed rod 24 mounted in bearings 26. A handle 28 is provided for operation of said rudder.

Driving members 18 and are substantially identical in construction andeach comprises a frame 30 made up of two parallel bars 32 and 34 which are pivoted at their forward ends by means of bearing brackets 36 to the walls of the channels l4 and [6.

The bearing brackets 36 are offset at 38 so as to properly position bars 32 and 34 and to prevent their accidental movement to contact the side walls of the channels. These bearings 36 are hollow and also serve as bearings for an operating shaft 40 which extends through and beyond the inner wall of channel E4. The free end of parallel bars 32 and 34 are secured in spaced relation by means of a spacing bar 42 which is securely fastened thereto. Q

A drum driving gear, 44 ismounted on shaft 40v and is secured by pin 48 for rotation therewith. A toothed drum 48 is mounted for free rotation on shaft 53 which in turn is mounted in slidable bearing blocks 52 which are slidably positioned in slots 54 formed in bars 32 and 34.

Adjusting screws 56, threaded through lugs 58, carriedby the bars 32 and 34, rest against the respective bearings 52 so that as screws 56 are rotated the drum 48 will be moved longitudinally of parallel bars32 and 34. V v

An endless chain 60 having propelling blades 62 is adapted to operatively encompass driving gear 44 and toothed drum 48 to extend substantially the full length of the boat. It will be noted that the propelling members are so positioned in their respective channels that the upper propelling blades 62 are disposed above the water surface 64 while the lower propeller blades are immersed in the water.

When the boat is driven forwardly the propelling blades move in the direction indicated by the arrows. In order to maintain the endless chain sections intermediate the end carrying drums, intermediate drums 65 and B8, are provided in substantially equally spaced relation between drum 44 and drum 48. These drums are mounted on transverse shaft '50 which are mounted in parallel bars 32 and 34, as shown.

A bell crank lever 12, mounted for oscillation on shaft 14, carried by body member it, is interconnected With the free end of frame 36 by connecting link 16. The upper end of bell crank lever 12 extends through a slot 18 formed through body frame 10 and is in operative relation with a notched segment 80. A hand operated pawl 82 carried by lever 12 is adapted to engage the notched segment to maintain the free end of frame 30 in any desired position.

The driving mechanism for the propelling members comprises a motor 84 having a drive shaft 86 to which is securely attached one side 88 of an adjustable drive pulley 93. This pulley is of the V-belt type and has a slidable section 92 which can be moved toward and from the member 88 to vary the efiective driving diameter of the drive pulley 90.

Slidable section 92 is adjusted by means of the hand operated lever 94 having a detent 9B which engages notches 98 formed in segment I00.

Driving pulley is in driving relation with the adjustable driven pulley I02 which is mounted on shaft 40. This driven pulley is of the split type and the two operating face members I04 and I06 are urged together by means of a compression spring I08 which rests against a slidably mounted face member I04 and a nut IIO carried on the outer end of hub II2 which is integral with face member I06.

It will be observed that as the effective diameter of the drive pulley 90 is varied, driven pulley I02 will be automatically adjusted to accommodate the belt and that there will always be a tension on the belt due to the urge of compression spring By referring to Figure 2, it will be observed-that the boat is symmetrical in construction and so balanced that when the propelling members are driven at the same speed the boat will have a tendency to move forwardly in a straightline; however should one of the propelling members be driven at a higher rate of speed than the other, the boat would have a tendency to move in a curved line at a radius-dependent upon thedifferential of speed.

'By changing the vertical position of the free ends of the propeller members, the driving effect of the blades 62 can be regulated. As the free end of frame 30 is lower, the driving effect of the propellers 62 will be increased. It is therefore apparent that a turning effect can :be producedwhile both propelling members are being driven at the same rate of speed-by simply varying the dinerential of the depth of the two propellers.

Another functioning of the propelling structures is the changing of the speed of travel of the boat without changing the speed of the engine by simply operating levers I2 to vary the depth of travel of the propelling blades.

While but a simple adaptation of the invention is shown, it is quite apparent that this same general structure might be utilized on various types of boats. Furthermore, in long boats it might be possible to utilize a plurality of propelling members at each side of the boat.

Since various changes might be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to be secured :by Letters Patent is:

A boat of the character described having a longitudinally disposed channel extending upwardly from the bottom along opposite sides of the boat, an endless chain propeller member pivotally mounted at its forward end in each of said channels with the lower portion vthereof disposed belowthe bottom of the boat, manually adjustable means to support the rear end of .said endless chain propellers in any of several vertical positions, a constant speed driving motor, driving means including adjustable pulleys interposedzbetween said motor and each of said endless chain propellers, manually controlled'means operable to regulate said driving means to vary the'relative speeds of said motor and said endless chain-propellers whereby the boat is propelled and steered, and adjustable means to maintain said endless chain propeller members in a taut position.

EUGENE MESSINGER. 

